S. No.

Ritu

DOs

Don’ts

1.

Shishir

Mid-December to

mid-February

• Sweet, sour and salty food

• Milk and its products

• Honey, lukewarm water

• Nutritious diet

• Oil massage

• Protection against cold

• Physical exercise

• Bitter, astringent, and

pungent food

• Fasting

• Use of cold water

• Living in cold

environment

2.

Vasant

Mid-February to

mid-April

• Drink lukewarm water

• Use of wheat, barley

• Appropriate use of fermented

beverages

• Physical exercise

• Sour and fried food

• Heavy diet

• Day sleeping

3.

Grishma

Mid-April to mid-June

• Sweet, cold, and liquid diet

• Plenty of water

• Seasonal fruits like grapes

• Coconut water

• Morning walk

• Heavy exercise

• Excess sexual

indulgence

• Hot, spicy, and salty

food

• Exposure to the sun

4.

Varsha

Mid-June to

mid-August

• Use of honey

• Use of rice, wheat

• Boiled water

• Oil massage

• Fermented beverages

• Soup of pulses

• Cold water

• Day sleeping

• Heavy exercise

• Surface water

Excess sexual indulgence

5.

Sharad

Mid-August to

mid-October

• Sweet, bitter, and astringent

food

• Fruits like amla, grapes

• Use of rice, wheat, green

gram

• Therapeutic purgation

• Fried food

• Use of curd

• Day sleeping

• Exposure to strong

sunshine

6.

Hemant

Mid-October to

mid-December

• Sweet, sour, and salty food

• Milk and its products like

ghee, curd, etc.

• Use if honey, lukewarm

water

• Heavy, nutritious diet

• Oil massage

• Protection against cold

• Physical exercise

• Steam bath

• Bitter astringent food

and fasting

• Use of cold water

• Living in cold

environment

Source: CCRAS, Ministry of AYUSH, GOI, New Delhi

28.4

Concept of Yoga

Ayurveda is a way of life to learn how to live a long, healthy, and disease-free life by

adopting the concept of Ritucharya as stated above along with Yoga and Pranayam.

Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, which

28

Strengthening Immunity: Ayurveda and Medicinal Plants

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